What can we learn from the culture sector crisis during the pandemic?

In this episode I speak with Ben Walmsley, one of the world’s preeminent thinkers on the cultural sector to discuss the importance of learning from culture in crisis.

The pandemic has accelerated a range of marketing and social trends - and created plenty of new challenges, like last-minute decision making.

In the latest episode of Theory of Creativity, we speak with Amy Maiden, managing partner of Anthem, to discuss Marketing the Arts in Uncertain Times.

To talk about fostering mental wellbeing in the arts sector, I had a great discussion with Tracy Margieson. Tracy is from the Arts Wellbeing Collective at the Art Centre Melbourne. The Arts Wellbeing Collective is a mental health and wellbeing program specifically tailored for the performing arts industry. It has grown rapidly, since its pilot in 2017, to become a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive sector-wide initiative.

Our guest today is a powerhouse and champion of cultural diversity and racial equity in Australia’s art sector. Lena Nahlous, Executive Director at Diversity Arts Australia, joins me to discuss the Creative Equity Toolkit, an incredibly valuable and practical resource to help organisations make headway in this area.

Image description: A black and white photo of Morwenna wearing glasses, smiling at the camera.

My guest today is Morwenna Collett, an accomplished Sydney based consultant, leader and facilitator working in the arts. Morwenna is sought after nationally and internationally for her expertise in diversity, access and inclusion.

Nothing is ever one size fits all. We often talk about culture audiences simply by age group, but this only takes us so far when it comes to developing meaningful engagement strategies.

What started out as a health crisis, Covid made waves throughout the globe, hitting us with massive social and economic implications. With many arts and cultural institutions completely shut down, cultural professionals have been forced to rethink how they work and what role they play in people’s lives.

How can design thinking help cultural institutions deliver greater social value? In episode 5 Tandi is joined by Lisa Baxter, founder of The Experience Business for a deep dive on qualitative research, customer empathy and social purpose. We talk about how to facilitate meaningful conversations between arts organisations and communities, and how that insight can inform everything from our brand values, to our programming, marketing communications, and engagement programs.

What role does economics play in the cultural and creative industries? Tandi is joined by PwC’s Chief Economist Jeremy Thorpe for a frank chat about policy and funding. During this episode we cover topics such as how cost-benefit analysis assists with decision making, how economists measure benefit, what “lobbynomics” is, and the power of specialisation in a technology-driven world.

What is the role of audience feedback in an artistically-driven organisation? In this episode, Tandi speaks with audience researcher Alan Brown, and Australia Council Executive Director Wendy Were about audience engagement, taste, feedback and artistic reflection - and how arts organisations can be in dialog with their audiences.

What does good leadership look like in the era of cultural democracy? In this episode Tandi speaks with John Knell and Simon Abrahams about key shifts currently taking place in the arts and cultural sector. They discuss the particular challenges of leading a cultural organisation today, and how clarity of purpose is the key to resourcefulness.

How can cultural organisations make sure their community projects are meaningful and impactful for all involved? In this episode, we speak with Jade Lillie and Lia Pa’apa’a in advance of the upcoming publication, ‘The Relationship is the Project’. We discuss why it’s artistically interesting, what can go wrong, and how to leave a legacy, even if the work has no ongoing funding.